The Development of Competence Beliefs, Expectancies for Success, and Achievement Values from Childhood through Adolescence

High prevalence of depression and physical inactivity have been consistently reported among college students, especially in females. Guided by Lubans et al.’s conceptual framework, the primary purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal relationships of PA motivation with leisure-time PA and depressive symptoms among college students over one academic year. Employing a longitudinal repeated measure design, 1004 college students in China were recruited in this study (28.3% males and 71.7% females; M age = 18.93 ± 0.64 years; 18–22 years old). Participants completed previously validated questionnaires assessing PA motivation (perceived competence beliefs and task values toward PA), leisure-time PA participation, and depressive symptoms in Fall 2016 (Time 1) and Fall 2017 (Time 2). Both male and female college students showed a significant increase of depressive symptoms from freshmen to sophomores (p < 0.05). The regression models indicated that perceived competence beliefs and task values toward PA were significant predictors of depressive symptoms at Time 2 (p < 0.05) after controlling for Time 1 measures in males and females, respectively. Physically active college students consistently demonstrated higher PA motivation, and they displayed fewer depressive symptoms compared to inactive peers over time (p < 0.05). The findings suggest sex-specified motivational intervention strategies and PA promotion programs/opportunities are needed to reduce depression symptoms among college students over time.

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Family Integration, Achievement Values, Academic Self-Concept and Dropping Out of High School

Sociological Focus ◽

10.1080/00380237.1969.10570732 ◽

1969 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 68-77

Author(s):

Michael A. Malec ◽

Judith B. Williams ◽

Edward Z. Dager

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

Self Concept ◽

Dropping Out ◽

Achievement Values ◽

Family Integration

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Teachers' multiple roles and perceived loss of professionalism in Tanzanian secondary schools

Waikato Journal of Education ◽

10.15663/wje.v24i1.620 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

pp. 11-19

Author(s):

Godlove Lawrent

Keyword(s):

Secondary Schools ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Teaching Quality ◽

Support Staff ◽

Multiple Roles ◽

Education Expansion ◽

Teaching Competence ◽

Competence Beliefs ◽

The Government ◽

The Impact

The rapid increase in Tanzanian primary school enrolments in the last decade was prompted by the government to develop the Secondary Education Expansion Policy. My study, therefore, explored the impact of this policy on teachers’ professional lives. A qualitative approach was adopted to gain detailed insights into the phenomena under investigation. Data were collected from 30 participant teachers from four community secondary schools in Tanzania through interviews and document analysis. Overall the findings revealed that the government’s shortcomings in hiring support staff prompted teachers to perform extra duties alongside teaching. It also found that the lack of the government’s commitment to rewarding teaching quality exacerbated teachers’ engagement in other income-generating activities. Teachers’ engagement in these non-teaching tasks both in school and out of school affected their own professional identities which subsequently impacted on their teaching competence beliefs. These findings recommend that in order to enhance the quality of teaching and learning, the government of Tanzania must improve teachers’ welfare by employing enough support staff to assist in teaching and learning.

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Gender Differences in Digital Learning During COVID-19: Competence Beliefs, Intrinsic Value, Learning Engagement, and Perceived Teacher Support

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.637776 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Selma Korlat ◽

Marlene Kollmayer ◽

Julia Holzer ◽

Marko Lüftenegger ◽

Elisabeth Rosa Pelikan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gender Differences ◽

Gender Role ◽

Teacher Support ◽

Intrinsic Value ◽

Self Concept ◽

Digital Learning ◽

Learning Engagement ◽

Biological Sex ◽

Competence Beliefs ◽

Perceived Teacher Support

The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic quickly necessitated digital learning, which bore challenges for all pupils but especially for groups disadvantaged in a virtual classroom. As some studies indicate persistent differences between boys and girls in use of technologies and related skills, the aim of this study was to investigate gender differences in the digital learning environment students faced in spring 2020. Previous studies investigating gender differences in digital learning largely used biological sex as the only indicator of gender. This study includes both biological sex and gender role self-concept in order to investigate the role of gender in different components of this stereotyped domain in a more differentiated way. A total of 19,190 Austrian secondary school students (61.9% girls, Mage = 14.55, SDage = 2.49, age range 10–21) participated in an online study in April 2020 and answered questions regarding their competence beliefs, intrinsic value, engagement, and perceived teacher support in digital learning during the pandemic-induced school closures. Results showed higher perceived teacher support, intrinsic value, and learning engagement among girls than boys, while no significant sex differences were found in competence beliefs regarding digital learning. Furthermore, our results indicated clear benefits of an androgynous gender role self-concept for all studied components of digital learning. Implications of the findings for theory and practice are discussed.

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Questioning the Inference of Ethnic Differences in Achievement Values from Types of Sport Participation: A Commentary on White and Curtis

Sociology of Sport Journal ◽

10.1123/ssj.9.3.295 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 295-306 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Suzanne Laberge ◽

Yvan Girardin

Keyword(s):

Social History ◽

Sport Participation ◽

Leisure Activities ◽

Group Differences ◽

Competitive Sport ◽

Social Agents ◽

Sociology Of Sport ◽

Achievement Values ◽

The Given ◽

The Relationship

White and Curtis’ recent papers (Sociology of Sport Journal, 1990, 7, pp. 347-368; International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 1990, 25, pp. 125-141) claiming a difference between Canadian Anglophones and Francophones in achievement values are critiqued. Two particular concerns are at issue. The first bears on the relationship these authors make between competitive sport participation and competition/achievement values. On that score, attention is focused upon some epistemological and methodological inadequacies. It is further argued that a conservative ideological perspective is implied in the inferring of achievement values from competitive sport participation. The second point challenges the idealistic conception conveyed by the authors’ contention that “studies outside the domain of work, on people’s ‘voluntary’ orientations to leisure activities, may more clearly show language group differences in achievement values.” Instead, it is proposed that sport practices are determined by the given social structure in which social agents live and by its specific social history. It is contended that an hermeneutical approach would be a more adequate alternative to the cross-cultural study of values differences.

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